Does anyone remember this disturbing case. A farmer by the name of Time Good hires a guy called Ben. He later thinks that he owns the farm and starts beating up his friend. Later when they move he takes his family with him and changes his name from Ben to Dave Freeman. He turns Tim Good into a slave and prisoner. Makes him gather wood for kindling. He preaches to him and tells him "The Lord says a man don't work a man don't eat." And rambles more to him. He locks him in a basement and treats him like a prisoner. Later Tim was found dead. He was strangled by Dave Freeman. The police pieced together everything by reading his diaries. It was very strange. I know he is arrested now. I hope they threw away the key. Anyone remember this bizzare case????

I remember the case- and they'd even insisted on the farmer selling his property and moving to another farm with them. Thankfully, they finally caught the monster (and have imprisoned him) ! He drained every dime from the landowner then killed him and stayed on until his money ran out but what I never understood was why the farmer didn't put up even the slightest resistance to any of this!

Good questioin.

Anybody know what Freeman's sentence was?

I still don't understand why the farmer would allow this man to take his living space. I mean, imagine the day Dave Freeman moves into his space, if it's anything like it is described on UM, the farmer was just a pushover and took his blanket into the dungeon where he would die.

"I still don't understand why the farmer would allow this man to take his living space. I mean, imagine the day Dave Freeman moves into his space, if it's anything like it is described on UM, the farmer was just a pushover and took his blanket into the dungeon where he would die."

I agree. That's sure what the original segment made it seem like. Stand up for yourself, man! And if that's not making things better, call 911 and try to get some help in dealing with the guy.

I think Tim was someone who was easily manipulated and after months of months of Freeman's "preaching" he became brainwashed, and in effect, a slave of the mind to Freeman. I'm almost positive on the Farina hosted episodes they say he has since been released from prison. What a pos, he still should be in jail.

"What a pos, he still should be in jail."

+1

This segment has always managed to captivate my interest. I too find it extremely odd how Dave Freeman managed to exert as much influence over Tim Goode as he did. I think Dave Freeman was one of those rare people that turn up that possesses the ability to persuade and manipulate people into submitting to their every wish, usually through religion. Some people on UM that come to mind who are also like this are Nelson Decloud and Tony Alamo.

There have been a lot of charismatic "preachers" that can have convinced their followers to do a lot of crazy things (kool aid anyone?) I think the farmer genuinely believed this guy had some higher spiritual connection with God and that by following him and listening to him and doing what he said he would also get that connection. I think the farmer was searching for meaning in his life and this guy provided that by re-connecting him to god. (why else put up with everything that guy put him through?)

No, no, no! Please tell me this guy is still in jail and that Farina didn't say that!

Does anyone have any updates on this? Was Freeman released from prison? I've never seen the Farina version, just the Stack version. I also wondered if Freeman's wife was charged with any crime. They both lived in that house and depleted his bank account while Tim's remains were left in the basement. And I'm sure she assisted him when he was a fugitive.

Does anyone have any updates on this? Was Freeman released from prison? I've never seen the Farina version, just the Stack version. I also wondered if Freeman's wife was charged with any crime. They both lived in that house and depleted his bank account while Tim's remains were left in the basement. And I'm sure she assisted him when he was a fugitive.

Yes, on the Farina hosted UM, they show the update where Freeman is apprehended at his home, and then he he states something to the effect of "He has since been released...", unfortunately. I'm not sure about Freeman's wife however, but I would assume if she testified against him she may have struck a deal with the prosecution to not be prosecuted.

Yep, Freeman was a car mechanic, living in an apartment with four kids. Was sentence to only 10 years for Involuntary Manslaughter!!! He is a free man now. That is just crazy for murdering someone. Also what happen to the 1 million dollars he took from Tim? He spent all of it in one year? Very strange case

I think Tim was someone who was easily manipulated and after months of months of Freeman's "preaching" he became brainwashed, and in effect, a slave of the mind to Freeman. I'm almost positive on the Farina hosted episodes they say he has since been released from prison. What a pos, he still should be in jail.

Yep-he pretty much signed his own death warrant when he let that guy take over like that rather than just booting him off his land. Manipulators look for weak willed people searching for something & exploit them fully. Belief systems are a powerful thing.

This segment has always managed to captivate my interest. I too find it extremely odd how Dave Freeman managed to exert as much influence over Tim Goode as he did. I think Dave Freeman was one of those rare people that turn up that possesses the ability to persuade and manipulate people into submitting to their every wish, usually through religion. Some people on UM that come to mind who are also like this are Nelson Decloud and Tony Alamo.

J. Z. Knight/Ramtha, and all of Scientology.

Mr. Goode must have been a troubled man for allowing himself to be controlled by Mr. Freeman.

Not everyone is gonna go out of their way to be manipulated by people like that.

Mr. Goode must have been a troubled man for allowing himself to be controlled by Mr. Freeman.

Not everyone is gonna go out of their way to be manipulated by people like that.

I think an interesting comparison would be Adam Hecht. Something similar may have happened to Tim Goode as far as the mental state. Like Hecht, Goode was fairly prosperous. And both of them seem to have had a case of prosperity guilt, that caused them to embrace those less fortunate which of course is a good thing to do. But in both cases they may have went to far with it to where it ended up being their undoing, and it was triggered by a third party, Dave Freeman with Goode, and Tony with Adam.

Of course, there were differences. We know Goode was murdered and we don't know what happened to Adam Hecht. Tony was a homeless person who was probably a couple of bricks short of a dozen, Dave Freeman was a manipulative and insidious individual who used religion to systematically break Goode down.

But it seems both of them felt the need to downgrade and humble themselves, to such a degree it ended up being their undoing.

Apropos of nothing...this commercial popped up in our local area last year....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP6RdajI5pY

...and I immediately shot up recognizing the actor playing Dad was the same actor that played Dave Freeman. It had been nearly 25 years since that segment aired and I hadn't seen the actor in anything in the interim, but I knew it right away. I thought it was cool but my wife wasn't nearly as impressed. But she wasn't an Unsolved Mysteries nut so she wouldn't understand!

Apropos of nothing...this commercial popped up in our local area last year....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP6RdajI5pY

...and I immediately shot up recognizing the actor playing Dad was the same actor that played Dave Freeman. It had been nearly 25 years since that segment aired and I hadn't seen the actor in anything in the interim, but I knew it right away. I thought it was cool but my wife wasn't nearly as impressed. But she wasn't an Unsolved Mysteries nut so she wouldn't understand!

I wonder if he tells his kids, "He who doesn't work, doesn't eat."

:)

You all have the wrong Winston Jelks. Although an uncommon name, you have the wrong man. I went to school with the innocent Winston Jelks and know his life. Do a Google search for David Freeman and you will see another picture. One contributor here already posted both photos. The innocent Winston Jelks died and was a very good person. This is how people end up stoning the wrong person because of their irrational passions. Dangerous.

You all have the wrong Winston Jelks. Although an uncommon name, you have the wrong man. I went to school with the innocent Winston Jelks and know his life. Do a Google search for David Freeman and you will see another picture. One contributor here already posted both photos. The innocent Winston Jelks died and was a very good person. This is how people end up stoning the wrong person because of their irrational passions. Dangerous.

Was trying to tell people this months ago. I think the forum moderator should remove the incorrect posts to avoid further slandering the wrong guy. People already rambled off on Jelks' memorial page in his obituary and it's quite sad.